Ecology Ottawa

News Clippings

Swapping parking for bike lanes: ‘What the hell kind of sense does this make?’

Ottawa Citizen

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, April 21, 2017

The potential removal of nearly 100 on-street parking spots so a councillor can blaze a trail for safe cycling in the city has some Wellington West residents asking for help from the mayor and demanding more consultation.

The drama centres on a 600-metre stretch of Spencer Street, between Western and Holland avenues. The residential street is one block north of the Wellington Street West commercial strip.

The city has upgraded the underground pipes and sewers and it’s time to finish the road reconstruction and landscaping.

City of Ottawa recognized as a top green employer

Ottawa Citizen

By Paula McCooey, Ottawa Citizen, April 21, 2017

For the second year in a row, the City of Ottawa has been recognized among Canada’s Greenest Employers.

The award — based on an evaluation of its workplace environmental programs, according to a special feature published in Friday’s Globe and Mail — highlights the City’s commitment to environmentally-friendly programs and initiatives. These include the city’s long-range transportation plans, including the Ottawa Pedestrian Plan, which has a stated goal of creating a “world-class” pedestrian city; and the city recently updated its Ottawa Cycling Plan to include the addition of segregated bike lanes downtown.

Pathways under water as Ottawa River rises

Metro Ottawa

By Ryan Tumilty, Ottawa Metro News, April 20, 2017

The National Capital Commission is praying for drier weather ahead so they can inspect any damage to recently upgraded paths along the Ottawa River.

The commission has closed paths all along the river due to flooding. A kilometre-long section behind Parliament Hill and the Supreme Court were closed earlier in the week, with the water covering the paths entirely by Thursday.

Other paths between Richmond Road and Parkdale Avenue were also closed.

Five things to do this Earth Day weekend in Ottawa, April 22-23

Metro Ottawa

By Haley Ritchie, Ottawa Metro News, April 21, 2017

1. Nature Museum

The Nature Museum is thinking about the Arctic on Saturday with a giant inflatable polar bear, botany tent and scavenger hunt, Inuit games and a giant walkable map of the Arctic. The activities take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and require museum admission.

2. Drop off tires, electronics

The Ontario Tire Stewardship wants your old tires to live on as new products and stay out of landfills. Old tires can be dropped off at Hazeldean Mall on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Old electronics can also be reused: drop them off from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Connaught School.

5. Park Summit and Celebration

Ecology Ottawa is holding its first ever Park Summit on Saturday, celebrating and discussing what makes a great public park. The summit takes place from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Makerspace North, followed by an Earth Day Celebration until 9 p.m. with food, drinks, music and door prizes.

Beacon Hill annual park cleanup looking for volunteers

OttawaCommunityNews.com

By Michelle Nash Baker, Ottawa Community News, April 20, 2017

According to the city, it's citywide initiative, Glad Cleaning the Capital. This year marks the 24th year and since it’s inception, it’s estimated that 930,000 kilograms of waste has been removed from public spaces. Clean-ups began on April 15. -

Neat freaks in Beacon Hill are wanted this spring.

The Beacon Hill Community Association will host its annual spring clean up at Skill Hill Park off La Vérendrye Drive on April 30.

Transit GM disputes tunnel workers' safety claims - Ottawa - CBC News

By CBC News Ottawa, April 20, 2017

Ottawa's transit boss staunchly defended working conditions inside the city's light rail tunnel Wednesday, one day after the CBC published a story quoting workers who complained the job site is crowded, hazardous and unsanitary.

John Manconi, the city's general manager of transportation services, told reporters that Rideau Transit Group (RTG), the consortium building the first phase of the light rail system, has a "very good" safety record, and claimed the issues the workers raised had either been addressed or were embellished.

Environmental group sues Catherine McKenna for failing to report on efforts to save caribou habitat - Politics - CBC News

By Peter Zimonijc and Susan Lunn, CBC News Ottawa, April 20, 2017

An environmental group is taking Canada's environment minister to court for what it says is a failure to uphold its responsibilities laid out in the Species at Risk Act.

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) says Catherine McKenna has not acted to protect the habitat of the boreal woodland caribou.

West Quebec mayors accept plan to block entry to popular mine - Ottawa - CBC News

By CBC News Ottawa, April 20, 2017

The mayors of MRC de Papineau unanimously accepted a recommendation from Quebec's Ministry of Natural Resources Wednesday to put up barriers to permanently secure a former mine that had become popular with weekend adventurers.

Paulette Lalande, the prefect of the MRC de Papineau, told Radio-Canada that barriers anchored in the ground will be placed at the entrance of the old quartz mine so that no one can get there.

Saint-André-Avellin, Que., declares state of emergency over spring floods - Ottawa - CBC News

By CBC News Ottawa, April 20, 2017

The municipality of Saint-André-Avellin, Que., has declared a state of emergency after floodwaters have forced a dozen homes to be evacuated.

The community, located about 80 kilometres northeast of Ottawa, held an emergency council meeting late Thursday afternoon after water levels on the Petite-Nation River rose significantly overnight.

LRT contract shows service was to begin May 7, 2018 - Ottawa - CBC News

By Joanne Chianello, CBC News Ottawa, April 21, 2017

Ottawa's light rail project is the most expensive infrastructure undertaking in the city's history.

The $2.1-billion cost alone, borne exclusively by taxpayers, makes the LRT the most consequential project in Ottawa right now.

So there should be virtually no questions about the project that are out of bounds.

But this is what the city's general manager of transportation services, John Manconi, told reporters when asked what happened to the May 2018 target date.

Miller: Why our suburbs are no place to grow old

Ottawa Citizen

By Glen Miller, Ottawa Citizen, April 20, 2017

For many of us, Canada’s centenary celebrations seem like they happened yesterday. How did 50 years go by so quickly? As we prepare for our 150th anniversary, the demographic reality is that there are now more seniors than school-aged children in our population. Twenty-five years from now, one-quarter of us will be collecting old age security.

Although this has predictable implications for the economy and health care costs, we face another challenge: for decades we have been building car-dependent suburbs where residents have to drive or be driven to work, school or shopping. This worked well for growing families, but as people age and become less mobile, many lose the ability to drive or afford a car.

Here’s how we can begin to confront climate change this Earth Day

Ottawa Citizen

By Eva Schacherl, Ottawa Citizen, April 21, 2017

Earlier this year, a sinkhole swallowed a fire engine in California, after biblical-style rain and storms caused $1 billion in damage.

The Arctic Circle saw temperatures above freezing in November, peaking at 20 C higher than normal. Recent flooding and mudslides in Peru, caused by warmer Pacific waters, levelled 14,000 homes and left at least 150,000 people homeless.

Experts have pointed out that Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort could be partly underwater by the end of the century. Trump recently signed an executive order to roll back climate change policies and promote coal.